


Doors of Death

by RascalJoy (DarkQuill)



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-20 04:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4772882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkQuill/pseuds/RascalJoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short story on what would happened if each of the demigods were to close the Doors of Death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Doors of Death

**Author's Note:**

> Cross posted from Fanfiction.net.
> 
> Original publish date: 9-1-13
> 
> So how this rolls is the first bit is an intro of sorts, and every section afterward is a continuation from that intro in a different demigod's perspective. They do NOT continue each other, but start over from the end of the first section with each new POV.

Percy and Annabeth stumbled across the rocky floor of Tartarus, trying to keep their footing as they careened around the black boulders.

Percy had his arm wrapped under Annabeth's shoulders, keeping her upright as they staggered aimlessly.

Their breaths came in ragged gasps.

Percy's feet felt like blocks of lead. Very sore blocks of lead.

Annabeth looked up, and stumbled to a stop, almost causing Percy to trip.

"Oh my gods," she whispered.

Percy raised his head and gaped at the sight before them.

About half a mile ahead was a giant pair of doors that seemed to stand in the middle of nowhere. They were held up by thick chains that seemed to be keeping them standing. The doors were wide open, one door inside Tartarus where they were, and the other opening out to the outside.

"The Doors of Death," Annabeth whispered in awe. "We made it. We actually made it."

Percy felt like he'd been injected with caffeine. They had made it through Tartarus. They were alive. He grinned. "Come on!" he yelled.

Filled with a new energy, Percy ran toward the Doors, practically dragging Annabeth along behind him.

He dodged around rock piles, leapt over streams of lava, and was flat out sprinting whenever he could.

Annabeth soon found her feet, and was running alongside him, her matted hair streaming out behind her.

They didn't stop until they made it out the Doors, where they were promptly blinded by the sunlight.

Despite the fact that clouds covered the sun, it was still brighter than Tartarus had ever been.

They collapsed to the ground as exhaustion overtook them, shielding their eyes as they lay side by side.

Percy reached out and grasped Annabeth's hand tightly.

Suddenly, he heard a voice shout: "They're over here!"

Alarmed, he leapt to his feet, uncapping Riptide and crouching over Annabeth defensively before he'd fully opened his eyes.

"Whoa!" the same voice shouted.

Percy stared at Frank in shock. He had Riptide pressed against Frank's throat, and the poor guy looked like he about leapt out of his skin.

Annabeth jumped to her feet as Percy dropped Riptide.

"Frank?" he whispered, hardly daring to hope.

Frank got over his shock, and a huge grin broke out across his features. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted as someone rocketed into Percy, almost knocking him over, and gave him a hug that was almost as rib crushing as Tyson's.

"You're alive!" the person exclaimed.

He looked down and found himself staring into a mass of curly cinnamon hair.

"Yeah, I'm alive, Hazel," he managed.

Someone dashed up and jumped onto Percy and Annabeth; this time, they were sent tumbling.

His head hit the ground with a loud smack, and he winced. He would have a nasty bruise there later.

He looked up at his attacker, and found himself staring into Piper's shining kaleidoscope eyes.

"You guys made it!" she exclaimed.

Annabeth groaned beside him. "Yep, we made it. Now could you please get off? I can't breathe."

The two girls climbed off of them, looking slightly sheepish.

"Sorry," Piper apologized. "We're just excited."

Percy lay on his back, staring up at them. "Noticed," he said.

Jason came into his line of vision, and held out his hand.

Percy took it, pulling himself upright with a groan.

Piper pulled Annabeth up, and soon they were all standing in a loose circle.

Frank clapped him on the back so hard, Percy almost fell over again. This was getting old.

"I knew you could do it!" he exclaimed happily.

Leo grinned wildly at the two of them. "You guys are awesome!" he crowed. He jumped up and down, pounding his feet against the rock. "Take that, Gaea! They survived!" he cheered.

Jason was smiling so wide, Percy was afraid his face would split open. He shook his head slowly. "Nice job," was all he said.

Percy scanned the familiar faces and soon found himself gazing into the shattered eyes of Nico di Angelo.

They stared at each other for a second. Nico nodded slowly before breaking eye contact.

Percy managed a smile at his grinning friends. "We're alive," he said, more to himself then anyone else.

Suddenly, something dawned on Percy.

"Wait," he said, confused. "Isn't Gaea's army guarding the Doors? Where are they?"

If possible, Leo grinned even wider. "Oh, them? Thanks to Beauty Queen's brilliant idea, the Athena Parthenos is currently at the entrance of the temple, keeping the monsters at bay. You should have seen them when we dropped that thing. They scrambled back so fast, they tripped over each other. Even the giants were falling all over themselves to get away."

Annabeth nodded toward Piper approvingly. "Good thinking."

Piper blushed. "I didn't do that much," she protested. "You guys are the one's who went through Tartarus."

Percy and Annabeth shivered involuntarily just at the thought of it.

Piper blushed even deeper. "Sorry. Shouldn't have mentioned it."

Percy managed a smile. "No problem," he assured her.

"Hate to burst everyone's bubble," Jason said, "but we still need to close those Doors."

Everyone glanced at each other nervously. Someone was going to have to stay in Tartarus. And this time, he or she wouldn't be able to get out.

In unison, they all backed several feet away from the gaping hole.

Percy took a deep breath. "I'll go," he said.

"Then I'm going with you," Annabeth announced.

Percy glanced at her. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," she countered, her eyes flashing defiantly.

"Neither of you should go," Jason interrupted. "You've already had to deal with it once. I'll go."

"No!" Piper yelped. "You can't! Or else I'm going with you."

Jason sighed. "Piper, no."

"My life depends on a burnt stick that's smaller than a candy bar," Frank said. "I'll go."

"Frank!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Oh, was that the weakness you were talking about?" Annabeth asked.

Frank gulped, and nodded.

"Wait, what?" Jason asked. "What stick?"

"I should go," Nico said quietly. "I've been there before. Plus, I'm the son of Hades."

Hazel whirled toward him. "And you barely survived!" she said, her voice cracking. "Gaea isn't going to pull you out a second time."

Leo stepped forward. "I should go. You guys all have girlfriends, and people who care about you. I've got nobody. I'm the best option."

Everyone stared at him in shock.

"Leo," Piper said. "We care about you. What made you think otherwise?"

Leo crossed his arms and stared at the ground.

Hazel laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to meet her gaze.

"How many times do I have to tell you that Nemesis was wrong?" she said gently. "You're not a seventh wheel, Leo. We need you."

"What's that about a seventh wheel?" Percy asked.

Hazel waved her hand dismissively.

"I should go," she said. "Sooner or later, my dad is going to have to acknowledge that I'm alive. He'll be forced to take me back to the Underworld to uphold the laws of death. Since I'm going to die anyway, I should go."

"No, Hazel," Frank and Percy said simultaneously.

"We said we wouldn't let anybody take you back," Percy said.

"And we intend to do just that," Frank added.

Hazel's eyes became misty. "Oh, guys," she said.

Everyone began arguing about who should go. No one noticed the single figure slipping away, heading toward the open Doors of Death.

* * *

 

**PERCY/ANNABETH**

Percy watched grimly as his friends argued, each trying to convince the others to let he or she stay on the other side of the Doors.

He knew he couldn't let anyone of them stay. He would kill himself before he willingly let one of them go into that evil pit.

His eyes wandered to the horrible black opening.

 _Please close_ , he prayed. _Please just shut yourself up and leave us to live our lives in peace._

Nothing happened.

He took a shuddering breath. He could feel his heart racing in his chest.

He would rather die than go back in there again. But then, if he did go in, he'd die anyway. The only exit would be closed.

Someone squeezed his hand, and he looked over to see Annabeth staring up at him, her beautiful grey eyes flashing with determination.

"Together," she whispered.

Percy clenched his jaw, and nodded. "Together," he repeated. He looked up to find himself once again looking at Nico.

Nico's eyes widened in horror when he saw Percy's determined expression. "No, don't," he croaked.

Everyone stopped arguing abruptly, as if someone had hit the mute button. They all glanced at Nico, then turned to stare at Percy and Annabeth.

Percy wrapped his arm around Annabeth's waist, and she gripped his shirt like a lifeline. "We're going," Percy announced. "Bye."

Then, he turned and bolted for the Doors, Annabeth striding along beside him.

He could hear the others shouting at them, begging them to stop, but he kept running.

He and Annabeth had their wrists and hands clasped firmly in a fireman's hold.

The Doors loomed in front of them, big black slabs of death.

Percy thought he heard a voice: _Beautiful sacrifices_ , it hissed.

Percy swallowed back his fear. _Together_ , he thought.

And together, they ran back into the horrible pit.

* * *

 

**PERCY**

Percy watched his friends arguing, each trying to convince the others to let him or her go.

He knew how this was going to end. At least, the way he was going to make it end. He would never be able to live with himself if anyone but himself was left in Tartarus. There was no way.

The problem was getting away from Annabeth.

He took a deep breath. There was only one way to get her to let go.

He leaned forward, and slammed his lips onto hers.

She stiffened, and grunted slightly.

He opened his eyes and found himself staring into her startling grey ones. They were wide with horror, and he knew that she could tell what he was planning.

She leaned out of the kiss. "Percy," she breathed.

He pulled her in for another kiss.

Without warning, he took a step backward, and pushed her away from him. She plumped down on the ground, her expression terrified.

He quickly leapt away, running for the Doors.

"Perseus Jackson!" Annabeth screamed behind him.

Uh oh.

He glanced behind him and saw her start after him, racing to catch up.

He poured on the speed, the Doors looming in front of him.

He screeched to a halt just outside the Doors, and turned to meet Annabeth's charge.

He held his arms wide and Annabeth jumped into them, nearly sending them both to the ground.

They leaned forward simultaneously, and kissed, holding each other tightly.

Percy gently pulled away. "I love you," he whispered.

Her eyes filled with tears, and her expression was desperate. "Percy, no."

He quickly yanked himself free, shoved her to the ground, and, ignoring her screams of protest, ran through the Doors into his worst nightmare: Tartarus.

* * *

 

**LEO**

As his friends bickered around him, Leo's thoughts were in a turmoil.

He was a nobody. A seventh wheel.

He studied the open Doors of Death. The monsters inside and outside were currently held back by the power of the Athena Parthenos, but Leo knew that wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, he and his friends would be swamped.

He looked around the circle, taking in the familiar faces of the people beside him: Percy and Annabeth, Jason and Piper, Frank and Hazel. They each had someone who loved them, who cared how they felt, and took care of them. Even Nico had his sister. Leo had nobody. The last person who had ever loved him was his mom, and she was gone. He had been left alone in the world, bouncing from foster home to foster home, running away from everything like the coward he was. When he had finally found a home at Camp Half-Blood, he was almost instantly popped off onto this quest to save the world, and all he'd done was risk his friends' lives on more than one occasion.

And that wasn't the only problem.

 _To storm or fire the world must fall._ The second line of the prophecy. He knew that either him, or Percy and Jason were the recipients of this particular line. If he died now, his chances of destroying the world would become an immediate zero.

He was filled with a sudden determination. Now was his chance to set things right. To do something other than mess everything up for once. It was time to stop running. At least, once he made it to his final destination.

He glanced at his friends, making sure no one was looking at him. He carefully slipped away from the group, and ran toward the Doors of Death. He paused just outside the opening, gathering his nerves.

He took one last look around him, committing everything to memory: the _Argo II_ , which was floating above the head of the Athena Parthenos; his friends, still arguing over who should be left on the other side, each claiming he or she should do it. He would have to move quickly if he were to avoid detection.

He turned back to the Doors of Death. The depths of Tartarus yawned in front of him, lava streams and boulders everywhere. Once he was in there, there was no turning back.

He could almost hear Gaea laughing at him: _So you want to be a hero? Go ahead, Leo. You'll never be as famous as Percy or Jason, anyway. Why not throw your life away? I don't need you._

Leo gulped.

He heard a startled shout behind him: "Leo, don't!"

He risked a glance over his shoulder to see Piper staring at him in horror.

Everyone had stopped arguing now, and were now watching him. Jason and Percy started toward him at the same time, both with the intent of stopping him.

Leo grinned and flashed a peace sign before turning back to the Doors.

Nemesis's voice echoed in his mind: _A seventh wheel._

He'd show her.

Before he fully registered what he was doing, Leo ran through the opening and into the darkness of Tartarus.

* * *

 

**HAZEL**

Hazel watched her friends argue around her, feeling helpless.

They didn't seem to get the fact that Hazel was _already dead_. Since she shouldn't even be alive, she should be the one to stay in Tartarus. If she did survive this, her dad would have to recognize the fact that she was alive, and take her back to the Underworld to uphold the laws of death. However this ended, whether they won or lost, it was going to end with Hazel dying. _She_ should be the one to close the Doors.

She nervously glanced in the direction of the black doors.

Nico had told her what he had seen. He had told her about all of Tartarus's horrors. And frankly, she would rather die again then have to face that.

But getting dragged back to the land of the dead wouldn't help her friends succeed.

She shuddered at the thought of the judges of the dead, their golden masks looming over her as they sentenced her to the Fields of Punishment for being cowardly dragged back to the Underworld instead of making the ultimate sacrifice.

The only way to die honorably? Perhaps achieve Elysium? Closing the Doors of Death. From the Tartarus side.

She looked back at her friends, still bickering in front of her. Nobody was looking at her.

She took a hesitant step backwards. Nobody saw her.

She took another step, then another. Finally, she turned around and ran the last ten feet.

She skidded to a halt in front of the opening, staring into the piercing blackness broken only occasionally by a stream of lava.

The whole place stank of death, and something even more terrifying: blood.

Suddenly, a breath of freezing cold air blew out of the opening, like something had exhaled, causing her to shiver. She could practically feel the malice and hate washing over her.

She took a shuddering breath, and took a single step forward.

"Hazel!"

Hazel glanced over her shoulder to see Frank staring at her in horror.

"Hazel, don't!" he cried, sounding so desperate and heartbroken, Hazel's heart clenched.

She managed a small smile.

"Sorry, Frank, but I'm the best option," she said. "I should be dead."

"No, you shouldn't," Percy exclaimed. "Your life was taken from you. You deserve a second chance."

Hazel's throat tightened, and her eyes watered. "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered.

Then she turned, and ran into the blackness.

* * *

 

**FRANK**

Frank remained stock still, staring at the source of their problems as his friends argued.

The Doors of Death. The only entrance and exit to Tartarus without falling.

He involuntarily gulped. Just looking at the things gave him the creeps.

He couldn't believe Percy and Annabeth had survived. Well, sure Percy was probably the most powerful demigod he had ever met, but anything that could crack a son of Hades had to be horrible. Beyond horrible even.

But someone had to stay on the other side. And that person was going to be him.

His mom had sacrificed herself to save her comrades. Why not follow in her footsteps?

He tried to psyche himself to move.

His eyes wandered to Percy and Annabeth.

Only now did he realize just how battered and tired they were.

Annabeth was practically falling on Percy as he struggled to keep both of them upright. Their eyes were wide and bloodshot, with deep purple bags under them. Their gazes were fractured, like Nico's, as if their sanities were barely kept in check. They each had more cuts and bruises than Frank could possibly count, and the tattered remains of their clothing hung loosely over their thin, bony frames.

It didn't exactly give him much motivation to go to the place where it had happened. But there was no other way.

He was filled with a sudden resolve. He was going to finish this. His life depended on a stupid piece of driftwood that was smaller than a candy bar. He didn't have much fuel left to burn to begin with.

 _No fairness in death_ , Thanatos had said. In Frank's case, that couldn't be more true.

He straightened, and took a final glance at his friends around him. He was going to save them, just like his mom did for her fellow soldiers: by sacrificing his life.

He didn't want anyone to see him leave. That would raise complications he didn't want to deal with. He took a hesitant step backward. He had never been one for stealth. He was like a big, clumsy ox.

Hold on a sec…

He closed his eyes, and concentrated. He felt himself shrinking, fur sprouting out all over his body, and he dropped to all fours. His friends' voices seemed to grow louder as his ears moved to the top of his head, stretching into points. His nose and mouth formed into a small snout, thick white whiskers prickling out on the sides. His spine grew longer, forming a tail. When he opened his eyes, he found that the ground was a lot closer than it used to be.

He was a cat. He looked down, and found that he had turned into a bright orange tabby, just like the one his friend at school used to own.

He crept toward the Doors, his small paws making no sound against the rough floor. His tail slowly waved back and forth as he moved, his whiskers bristling. He kept his ears pricked, listening to his friends as he glided toward the opening.

He stopped in front of the doorway, crouching low to the ground. Every hair on his back stood straight up, and his tail was as stiff as a rod behind him. He felt a strange urge to hiss, but managed to control himself.

Alarm bells rang in his head as his keen ears picked up the words he had hoped he wouldn't hear: "Wait, where's Frank?"

He swiveled around to see Hazel looking around, her face filled with panic. "Where's Frank?" she demanded again.

Everyone turned toward the Doors.

At first, no one saw him, but it didn't take long for Hazel to notice the bright orange cat against the blackness of the Doors.

"Frank!" she yelped, and began to run toward him.

Frank silently cursed himself for not paying attention to his fur color. He stood out like a traffic light at midnight.

He concentrated, and turned back into a human just as Hazel reached him.

She threw herself at him and hugged him tight, which caught him by surprise.

"You can't," she sobbed. "I won't let you."

Frank swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry, Hazel. But I have to do this."

He gently pulled her away from him, and took a step toward the black opening.

Then she did something which surprised him to no end: she jumped up and kissed him right on the lips.

He stood there, completely stunned, as she hugged him again.

"Please," she gasped. "Stay with me. I-I love you."

Frank felt like he had been hit by a sledgehammer. He found he couldn't breathe. He said something really intelligent like, "Uh…"

 _Come on, Frank_ , he mentally chided. _Stay focused._ But his heart was throbbing in his chest, and his ears were buzzing. Hazel had kissed him. Hazel _loved_ him.

He shook himself slightly. No. That just gave him _more_ reason to go. To protect her.

He gently pushed her away.

She looked up at him, her golden eyes were full of hurt. "No," she whispered. "Please."

Frank set his jaw, and shook his head.

Then, before he could change his mind, he turned and marched through the dreaded doorway.

* * *

 

**NICO**

Nico watched his friends arguing sadly. He knew they wouldn't be so quick to volunteer themselves if they knew exactly what was down there. Sure, they had seen how broken he was, and how bruised and battered Percy and Annabeth were. But that wasn't even a hint as to what was down there. It was worse than any of them could ever imagine. And it had almost driven him insane.

Nico glanced toward the Doors, and shivered involuntarily.

Tartarus.

Just the word sent chills running up and down his spine.

He knew he should be the one to stay in there. Not only was he the son of Hades, but he had been there before. He'd be more prepared the second time.  
Not, he thought bitterly.

If he had stayed there any longer than he had, he would have cracked. Of course Percy and Annabeth had been down there for many days more, but at least they had had each other. Nico had had no one. He _still_ had no one.

His sister, Bianca, had died. Both camps found him creepy and bad luck. He really had no one beyond the demigods standing around him. He found himself filled with an extreme urge to protect them. He didn't think he would be able to stand it if he lost someone else in his life. How better to end his life than protecting them? That way he wouldn't be around when they did die, and he would just see them in Elysium-the eternal party place for heroes. That didn't seem like such a bad thing…

He carefully backed away from the group. As expected, no one paid him attention. They probably didn't expect _him_ to be the one to go for the Doors since he had already been to Tartarus once. And he had made it clear that he was never going back. Until now.

He had promised Percy he would lead the others to the other side. He had fulfilled his promise. What more was there to live for?

Before he knew it, he was standing at the entrance to his worst nightmare.

He took a shuddering breath, and took a step into the opening.

"Nico!"

He turned and saw Hazel staring at him in horror.

"Nico, no!" she cried.

He gave a small salute, then backed into the horrible blackness of Tartarus.

* * *

 

**PIPER**

Piper watched her friends arguing with a sinking heart. She couldn't believe how brave they were, each practically begging the others to just let him or her go. To let him or her die.

She had spent the majority of her first quest feeling utterly useless, a deadweight that her friends had to drag across the country. They had saved her life on many occasions, and had taken care of her. She had returned the favor by lying to them and almost dropping them into a trap.

This quest hadn't been much better. She had been completely helpless when the _Argo II_ began firing on New Rome. She'd been unable to appease the Romans. And what had she done on this quest? Nothing. Besides almost getting Percy and Jason killed in Kansas. Well, she had gotten rid of the eidolons and made the water nymphs friendly, but when her friends needed her against Ephialtes and Otis, she'd sat in the grand stand with Bacchus, watching them nearly get killed.

She wasn't much of a hero. She was just a stupid daughter of Aphrodite. No power there.

She glanced over at Jason. His face was hard and determined as he tried to get everyone to understand that he should be the one to sacrifice his life. Her heart melted. She couldn't let him do that. She couldn't let any of the demigods here do it.

She looked over her shoulder at the open Doors of Death. They had to be closed on both sides. She could do that.

She casually started walking toward the Doors, not sneaking around or trying to blend in at all. That would probably draw their attention faster. Besides, she could charmspeak them to stay put.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she walked. She tried to keep her fear buried deep inside her, not letting it overwhelm her. She tried not to think about what she was doing. If she did, she doubted she would have the courage to go on.

"Hey, where's Piper?" an alarmed voice said behind her. "Pipes? Where'd you go?"

Her heart sank as she recognized the voice to be Jason's.

She turned around and found all of her friends staring at her. She tried for a calm smile. "It's okay," she soothed. "You guys don't have to go anywhere. Stay right there." Even though it made her feel sick, she added charmspeak to her words. "I wouldn't be able to stand it if any of you were to be left behind. And there's only one way for me to make it possible."

The others looked confused as they struggled to line up what Piper had said with what they thought.

A wave of guilt overcame her. No more charmspeak.

"Good bye," she whispered. Her eyes met with Jason's panicked blue ones. "I love you."

She turned and ran through the open doorway before the others could get over her charmspeak.

* * *

 

**JASON**

Jason felt like a failure. He was the son of Jupiter. He was supposed to be a leader, to protect his comrades in every way possible. To keep them alive on the battlefield. Now he was watching them argue over who should go on a suicide mission into the most evil part of the Underworld. He wouldn't be able to stand it if that happened.

He had all ready flunked in the protection department. Seriously, tying ropes around a statue while two of his friends fell into Tartarus? The thought made him sick to his stomach. Plus, he'd spent about half of this quest out cold in the infirmary. What kind of hero was he? He didn't even think he was fit to lead anymore.

He glanced over at the Doors. Solid, marble slabs almost as tall as the Athena Parthenos. He wondered if it was even possible for just one person to push a Door. He'd have to find a way.

He took a half step backward, then realized he had a problem. Piper was gripping his hand tightly, as if to make sure he didn't slip away on her. Even though he was enjoying the feeling, he wished she wasn't. It made it that much harder to get away unnoticed.

He contemplated ways to escape. Pulling his hand out of hers would definitely make her suspicious. So how could he convince her to let go? And she was the one with the charmspeak, so she could just tell him to stop and he would have no choice. This was getting harder and harder by the second.

Suddenly, he was struck by an idea.

"Hey, Pipes," he whispered.

She stopped midsentence and looked up at him, her kaleidoscope eyes conflicted.

"Do you have any first aid supplies on you?" he asked.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "No," she said. "Why?"

Jason nodded in Percy and Annabeth's direction.

Understanding dawned in her eyes. "Oh. I can go get some off the Argo."

"Good idea," he agreed, feeling slightly relieved that she had brought it up herself. If he'd suggested it, she would _definitely_ suspect something.

She studied him critically for a minute. Then she stood up on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't you dare go off without me," she murmured, and Jason felt her charmspeak washing over him, filling him with the desire to stay and wait for her. She gave his hand one last squeeze, then let go and headed for the _Argo II_ hovering just behind the Athena Parthenos.

Jason watched her go, feeling bad to have tricked her like that. She was right. He should just stay here. Let someone else do the job. He shook his head to clear it, trying to overcome her charmspeak.

As his friends argued with each other, he argued with himself, struggling to kick Piper's words out of his head.

He took one step backwards. He was going to do this. He glanced around the circle one last time, making sure no one was watching. Then he turned, and marched off to the Doors.

 _Left…left…left, right, left_ , he mentally chanted. He imagined that he was marching at the head of an entire legion, setting off to destroy an evil Titan's fortress. It was easier than knowing he was headed to his death alone. But as he tried to keep up the mental picture, a different one took its place. He was no longer leading a legion. He was walking side by side with eight familiar faces. Piper marched along at his right, Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia stretching out beside her. Leo trotted at his left with Frank, Hazel, and Nico beside him. All of their faces were grim and determined.

He realized with a start that this was his family. Over the past few months, he had grown closer to these demigods than he'd ever felt toward the legion where he'd lived his entire life. These were people he could trust with his life, who he could always count on to lend a helping hand. And that's more than could be said about anyone in the legion. Except for Reyna and possibly Clarisse, the other demigods at both camps feared and respected him. But these were his equals. All of them were leaders in their own way. This quest was never his alone to lead. And Jason wouldn't have it any other way.

He threw his head and shoulders back, feeling more confident than he had in months. He was going to save his family. And nothing was going to stop him.

He reached the open Doors, pausing for a moment to study the entrance.

"Jason Grace!" a familiar female voice cried.

Jason whirled around to find Piper standing a few feet behind him, her arms crosses as she gripped a bag of ambrosia.

"How dare you—"

Jason cut her off by pulling her into a kiss. When he leaned back, her expression was shocked.

"I love you, Pipes," he said.

Her eyes filled with tears. "I love you too. But if you really loved me, you'd let me go with you!"

"I do really love you," Jason assured her. "Which is why I'm not going to let you."

He gently pulled away and strode through the Doors, trying to ignore Piper's cries as the darkness washed over him.

* * *

 

**COACH HEDGE**

Coach Hedge watched the eight of them arguing from his position behind one of the pillars. He prided himself in his excellent silent ninja skills, but he usually didn't like using them. It was _much_ more fun to throw yourself at the enemy screaming "DIE!" and smashing everything in sight with a baseball bat. But ninja skills had their time and place. Like now.

Not the he'd ever admit it out loud, but he'd grown fond of his cupcakes. His chest swelled with pride. He knew that without his excellent teachings, they would never have become the heroes they were today. Yep, he could see it now: Coach Hedge, mentor of the most famous and powerful demigods of all time. Yeah, he liked the sound of that.

He scuffed his hoof lightly against the marble floor, eyeing the black hole at the end of the temple. He bleated quietly in hatred. One of his little cupcakes was going to end up on the wrong side of those Doors. And he couldn't allow that.

He began mentally humming the Mission Impossible theme song as he ghosted from pillar to pillar, slowly but surely making his way to his goal. He kept one eye on the arguing half-bloods, but they all were intent on each other. They probably didn't expect anyone to make a dash for the Doors of Death outside of their small circle.

He thought about Mellie, the wind spirit. He wondered if she'd miss him. Well, he would just see her later when she was reincarnated alongside him.

He wondered what he would become. He hoped he's be a thistle bush, or something. Poke whoever came near him to death. That didn't sound so bad.

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the opening. He eyed it critically, swinging his baseball bat in slow arcs by his side. He could sense the spirits of monsters lurking in the shadows, held back by the power of the Athena Parthenos. He grinned evilly. When he went down, he'd make sure to take a few hundred down with him. Even he wasn't stupid enough to think he could survive long in Tartarus. He knew it wasn't a matter of _if_ he fell, but a matter of _when_.

He took a glance behind him, breathing in the fresh air one final time, and taking a last look at the cloudy sky. He looked at his cupcakes, still arguing, and felt himself filled with an intense sense of pride. Each of them was willing to take the final plunge into Tartarus. But none of them were willing to let the other go. Well, he'd solve that problem for them.

He turned back to the Doors. He raised his club over his head, and began twirling it, round and round and round, getting faster and faster with each turn. Soon, it was making a high pitch whistling sound above his head.

He heard startled cries behind him, and knew he had been spotted.

But that didn't stop him.

His vision was tinged with red. He opened his mouth and screamed, "DIE!" And with that, he threw himself through the Doors.


End file.
